I’ve been obsessed with these oversized sunglasses from Chloe for a while now, but I wasn’t sure if I could pull off such a statement look. What do you think? I think I’m in love. I have a ton of fun sunglasses in my closet, but this pair is my current favourite – with its bug-eyed shape, lightly-tinted lenses, and curvy frame – reminds me a bit of those early 2000’s JLo days, but in a good way. Incidentally, she actually owns a pair too!

If you’re looking for a pair of statement eyewear yourself, there’s no better time to pick one up. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale happening over at Smart Buy Glasses, you can snag a pair of cool designer sunnies for a fraction of the regular price. And their shipping is lightning-fast!

So tell me, what do you think of Chloe Carlina sunnies? Which sunglasses are your favourite? Share in the comments.

When you know, you know. And the moment I laid eyes on this sweater dress, I knew that we were meant to be together. This dress is perfection wrapped in cozy dreams and chicness, and I now own it in two colours. Because when you find something as perfect as this oversized beauty, you buy it in every colour possible. This dress actually reminds of this H&M score from last year, and with the addition of another ankle-length cashmere dress I picked up from COS, it looks like I’ll be nice and toasty all winter long, and I don’t mind it one bit.

Just in case you too would like to be wrapped in snuggie-level softness without looking like you’ve given up on life, check out some of my fave sweaters and sweater dresses above. And those boots too, because Acne Studios can do no wrong in my book.

If you’ve been looking for a perfect pair of black overalls – ones that won’t make you look like a plumber – your search is over, because this pair from Gap is amazing (and currently on sale!). Stretchy, with a slight kick flare, and a perfect length to show off your favourite boots – these overalls have it all, and I’m so glad I found them.

What do you think of the overalls trend? Would you wear them? Share in the comments.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve been obsessed with this Drake’s for J.Crew pajama outfit for a while now, so, of course, as soon as the collection landed in stores, I snapped it up. And while most people wouldn’t consider wearing silk pajamas to a fancy party, I wore mine to the Nordstrom Eaton Centre store opening, and spent the night saying “thank you”, because this outfit was a huge hit. Props to J.Crew for making a comfy outfit look and feel so exquisite.

But enough about my amazing PJs, let’s talk about Nordstrom! That store is a joy to shop in, and I’m really excited about its arrival in Toronto (they carry Madewell, y’all!). With a stunning shoe department full of both high-end and more affordable designer names, several fancy boutiques like Miu Miu and Loewe, a monogramming station (something I’ll surely be using come Christmas shopping season), an Alexander Wang shop-in-shop, and my new obsession – Sugarfina candy (the Jamaican Rum Snowballs are thebomb.com), this store has become my must-visit in the city, and pretty soon, there’s going to be a second location at Yorkdale Shopping Centre!

If you’d like to celebrate the opening of Nordstrom’s second Toronto location, make sure to grab your tickets before they sell out! The Nordstrom Yorkdale Shopping Centre Gala will take place on October 19th at 7pm, and gala proceeds will be donated to several charitable foundations. More details can be found here. See you there?

One more outfit post from our amazing getaway to Prince Edward County with Lincoln MKZ. On our final night, I got all dolled up for dinner with le bf, only to end the night barefoot and playing ping pong outside of the Drake Devonshire. My feet were black when we got back to the room. Sorry for that visual. But that probably describes PEC the best – there’s the quiet luxury of places like Drake Devonshire, coupled with homey comfort of various Inns, local ice-cream parlours, and beach shacks. It truly has become one of my favourite Ontario getaways and I hope we can return as soon as possible.

Have you ever visited The County? Share your experiences after the jump!

A while back I wrote about the amazing CHANEL Cuba Cruise 2017 collection, and the one piece I really (REEEEALLLY) wanted to get my hands on was the colourful graphic tee. Well, dreams do come true, because I finally got to wear one to the CNE last weekend! And while the collection won’t be hitting the boutiques until some time in November, I predict that this t-shirt is going to be one of the hottest items, and will most likely sell out immediately. So if you’re really serious about owning one, make sure to call your SA and ask to put one on hold in your size.

I love that graphic tees are making a high-fashion return. As you can see, I was inspired by the runway show styling, and paired my tee with a tweed pencil skirt, but of course, you can wear yours with denim or leather, under a blazer, or over a dress, dress it up or down. These tees are super versatile and a little retro, and I’m officially obsessed.

Do you like the graphic tee trend? Share your thoughts after the jump!

After a couple of stressful weeks at the office, le bf and I packed our bags, jumped into a shiny new 2017 Lincoln MKZ, and set off to Prince Edward County for 2 days of R&R. We’ve never been to PEC before, mostly because I’ve always dreaded the 2.5 hour drive, but after hearing amazing things about The County, we finally decided to see what all the hype was about. Thanks to top-notch navigation, easy-to-use SYNC® 3 system, and Bridge of Weir™ leather-trimmed seating, the ride was fun and enjoyable. We stopped at the Big Apple for snacks and photo ops, took a quick detour to check out Laveanne lavender farm, and before we knew it, we were pulling into Drake Devonshire’s parking lot.

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Drake by the Lake, and they were all true. From our beautiful room complete with quirky art and comfy bed, yummy food and lovely lake views at the restaurant downstairs, Drake Devonshire had everything we needed for a restful getaway. The hotel’s perfect location allowed us to explore PEC, while being close enough so that we could return to the Drake any time we needed a break or a change of clothes. I loved our leisurely drives past picturesque farm houses and green corn fields, and I loved the retractable panoramic glass roof on our Lincoln MKZ, which made it feel like we were cruising around in a convertible.

Even though Drake Devonshire is located a few minutes away from a local Wellington beach, the highlight of our trip was definitely Sandbanks Provincial Park. White sandy beach, clear lake water, and plenty of space to stretch out made for a lovely place to lay down our towels and relax. We spent two days there, swimming and sunbathing, and I really didn’t want to leave. Though when we did have to leave, we were super thankful for the cooled leather seats – felt amazing, especially since the car was parked in full sun for several hours.

Since we were on vacation, the rest of our time in PEC was spent eating. We loved our dinners at The Hubb and East and Main, ice-cream at Slickers, and everything in-between at Drake Devonshire. We really wanted to try the wood-fired thin crust pizza at Norman Hardie, but sadly they didn’t serve it on the days we were around. Next time for sure!

On our final day in The County, we drove to the stately Claramount Inn for massages – the best way to start a morning, if you ask me. Zen and super relaxed, we had our last delicious breakfast at The Drake, and then we were back on the road. Just like our drive to PEC, our trip home was quick and comfortable. The ride was super smooth, and since my iPhone was synced to the entertainment system, we had the awesome mix of Backstreet Boys and NSYNC as the soundtrack to our road trip. Perfect way to end our mini-vacation.

Have you ever been to Prince Edward County? What were the highlights from your visit? Share in the comments.

Before booking our villa in the Algarve, we weren’t quite sure about staying in Vilamoura. Everything we read about it seemed to scream TOURIST TRAP, and so we hemmed and hawed, until everything else on Airbnb was gone, and the last remaining villa option we had was in Vilamoura. So imagine my delight upon arrival, when I discovered that our villa was situated in one of the more picturesque parts of town, surrounded by greenery and bougainvillea aplenty.

Sure, Vilamoura is an undeniably touristy place with beach bars, golf clubs, and a ton of resorts, but it wasn’t a bad thing. On our trip to the Algarve, we visited many authentic places, but we were always happy to return to our comfortable and touristy little town. If you’re not sure about where to stay, I can’t recommend the area near Old Village, Vilamoura highly enough. With several great restaurants nearby, a small grocery store a quick walk away, and beautifully landscaped grounds all around, this was the perfect place to call home during our time in the Algarve. I’ll share more recommendations from our trip in a separate post, so stay tuned.

The worst thing about vacations is being back at the office, feeling like you could use another couple of weeks off. This is me right now, looking at the photos from my trip to Portugal and feeling severely homesick for a place that isn’t even home. Bizarre, non?

These photos were taken at Praia da Falesia aka Cliff Beach near Vilamoura in the Algarve. Falesia is one of several beaches that my friends and I were lucky enough to visit during our trip. It is a lovely and well-manicured beach, with all of the modern amenities – from swanky bars where you can grab a bottle of bubbly or some fried calamari, to beach umbrellas and loungers for rent, to all kinds of water sports within arm’s reach. Falesia Beach is also quite expansive, stretching to nearly 7km in length, which means there’s plenty of space to set up camp without feeling cramped.

This beach was closest to our incredible Airbnb villa in Vilamoura, and we spent two blissful days there, playing in the waves, dancing in the sand, and drinking all of the champagne, with views of the Atlantic on one side, and breathtaking cliffs on the other. It wasn’t the most beautiful beach we’ve visited on our trip, but it was certainly the most comfortable.

Have you ever been to Praia da Falesia? Share your travel stories in the comments!

When I first spotted this dress over on H&M app, I knew I had to have it. Everything about it from the watercolour rainbow stripes, to the Issey Miyake-like pleats screamed “must-have”, and so I dutifully made daily visits to H&M, only to walk away empty-handed (well, maybe not empty-handed, but without this dress in tow). So when I finally spotted a few of these dresses on a lonely rack, I grabbed my size and never looked back.

I wish I could say that this was a rare occurence, but the fact is, I stalk things at H&M all the time. Between the time I see something I want on the website, and the time it actually hits the stores, I end up spending countless lunch hours trekking back and forth between my office and the store, cursing the lack of H&M online shopping in Canada. I know that Canadian e-commerce is coming this year…but I literally can’t wait. First world problems, I know…but how amazing would it be to be able to buy your fave H&M (and H&M Home) things online from the comfort of your couch?!

What about you? Are you excited about the upcoming H&M Online Shopping launch? Share your thoughts in the comments.

WHAT I WORE

WHO IS NELIA?

Nelia Belkova is a Toronto-based fashion and lifestyle blogger by night and a financial analyst by day. She loves to travel, read gossip sites, eat sweets, and cuddle up to her husband and her cat on the couch. Read More…